How to Record Your Screen Using VLC Media Player?

VLC Media Player is widely known as a versatile, open-source multimedia player, but it also features a built-in screen recording tool capable of capturing your computer desktop for tutorials or presentations. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to configure VLC to capture your screen, adjust the necessary capture settings, and successfully save your recorded video file without needing third-party software.

Setting Up the Screen Capture

To begin recording your desktop, open VLC Media Player and navigate to the top menu bar. Click on Media and select Open Capture Device from the dropdown menu (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C on Windows). In the window that appears, locate the Capture mode dropdown menu and change it from DirectShow to Desktop.

Adjusting Frame Rate and Options

Once the desktop mode is selected, you need to set the frame rate for your recording. Under the Options section, look for the Desired frame rate for the capture. By default, this is set to 1.00 f/s, which is too slow for a fluid video. For a standard, smooth tutorial, change this value to 15.00 f/s or 30.00 f/s.

Next to the “Play” button at the bottom of the window, click the small arrow to open the dropdown menu and select Convert (or press Alt + O).

Configuring the Output File

In the Convert window, you will need to choose the video format and destination:

• Profile: Select a standard video format from the dropdown menu. Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4) is highly recommended for maximum compatibility across devices and platforms.
• Destination file: Click the Browse button to choose where you want to save the recorded file on your computer and give the file a specific name ending in .mp4.

Starting and Stopping the Recording

After selecting the destination, click the Start button. VLC will immediately minimize or begin recording everything happening on your screen.

While recording is active, you can use the standard playback controls within the VLC interface. Click the Pause button if you need to temporarily halt the capture, and click the Stop button when your tutorial is complete. VLC will automatically finalize the encoding process and save the completed video file to your designated folder.